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Snailbeach Lead Mine Surface
Virtual Tour |
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This page is undergoing a re-build at the moment
(Oct 2011) [click thumbnails to see larger version of picture] PARK IN
THE VILLAGE HALL CAR PARK (SJ373022) This
is on the right as you climb the hill from the Shrewsbury-Bishops Castle
road. If it is full then you can park
on the grass area to the side and below.
The car park belongs to the Village Hall and, although no charge is
made, voluntary contributions to its upkeep would be appreciated in the box
provided. There are toilets here, as
well as a children’s play area on the grass below. [As at February 2011 the Council was
considering closing the toilets and their future is unknown at present]. There is a display board on the outside wall of the
toilet block that will give you some basic information on the mine and there
are more as you go around.
Some distance away from the mine itself, in Hope
Valley, is the portal of Wagbeach Level (SJ364025) This is the drainage level of the mine and
here are the remains of a 36ft waterwheel that, at an early stage of the
working of Snailbeach, drove the pumps to drain the mine. These are on private land but a footpath
goes close to it. Wagbeach Level is
1,200 yards long, reaching the mine at George's Shaft at a depth of 112
yards. It has collapsed close to the
entrance but the water still drains through. With your back to the car park, turn right along the
road for about 100 yards, passing the Village Hall. On the right is a bridleway going down to
the left of a white house. Follow this
down and round the corner on the right you will find the grilled entrance to
Scott Level. This is a mystery as it
leads to extensive passages that are not connected to Snailbeach Mine. CROSS
THE ROAD TO THE SIGN UP TO LORDSHILL.
GO THROUGH THE SMALL
WOODEN GATE AND WALK UP THE HILL ALONG THE PATH
CARRY
ON UP THE TRACK. WHERE IT FLATTENS
OUT, THERE IS A ROCKY AREA ON THE LEFT.
YOU MAY COLLECT ROCK SAMPLES HERE FOR YOUR PERSONAL COLLECTION ONLY.
GO
THROUGH ANOTHER GATE AND CROSS THE ROAD TO A SIGN
TURN
RIGHT ALONG A TRACK NEXT TO THE FENCE
The
rails soon disappear under the surface of the modern track but you will come
to two stone abutments. This was a
bridge where waste rock from the mine was pushed in wagons over the railway
and dumped on the tips. At ground
level, you can see the lever that moved some points. TURN LEFT IN FRONT OF A BUILDING WITH BIG
DOORS
Towards the end of the railway's life, the trucks
were hauled by a tractor instead of a steam locomotive. In the loco shed is an old Fordson tractor that
was found abandoned on site. It is
believed to have been used at one stage for operating machinery at the Upper
Works but it is not known if this was the tractor used to haul trucks. A
full-sized replica of a SDR truck was recently made and this is kept inside
the Loco Shed.
GO LEFT
UP THE STEPS
On
the left is the Mine Office that was used in the 1950s. The fireplace on the facing outside wall
was a small room where the lead ore was assayed to ascertain how much lead
metal it contained. On the right is the Blacksmith's Shop where
machinery and tools were made for the mine. This building is normally kept locked but
if you can make arrangements to gain access via the Visits Co-coordinator if
there are no Trust members on site.
Inside are a forge and bellows
which have been restored and are operated on Open Day. This was a separate
blacksmith’s shop for sharpening men’s tools which has now been demolished. Next to it is a small stone building, which is believed to be a very
old Pumping Engine House that operated in George’s Shaft.
In front of the Blacksmith’s Shop is the filled George's Shaft
(750ft), with a wooden headgear that was rebuilt in July 1999. It is here
that the fatalities occurred in 1895 (note that this originally had two
winding wheels but one was removed towards the end of the 19th
Century).
Across from the shaft is the Winding Engine House
which held a horizontal steam winder that was installed in 1872. Behind the
engine house was a small Reservoir that fed the boilers.
To the left of the engine house was the Miner’s Dry
(now converted into a Visitor Centre), where miners placed wet working clothes
over steam pipes to dry for the next day.
This
is open to the public on Summer Sundays and Bank Holidays and Trust members will
be pleased to show you into the buildings or take you into Day Level (see
below). You can also make arrangements to gain access
via the Visits Co-coordinator if there are no Trust members on site. Next to this is the newly rebuilt
Barracks, where some miners stayed during the week. .
To the
left of this is the grilled entrance of Day Level, which was driven in 1848
to intersect the Lordshill Engine Shaft. Ore could be unloaded here from
kibbles and pushed in wagons straight out to the Crusher House, on the other
side of the track. When the Visitor Centre is open, you can have a tour
underground or arrangements can be made for other times via the Visits Co-coordinator.
On the other side of the track are the remains of the Crusher House,
Carpenters Shop and Saw Pit, now grilled over. Next to Day Level is the Compressor House and its chimney, which
contained two Siemens & Edwards compressors installed in 1881. The Boiler House has
disappeared but the flues can still be seen. GO BACK
TO DAY LEVEL AND CLIMB THE PATH JUST TO THE LEFT OF IT The white
building on the left is the Count House, where the Mine Manager lived and
where the miners were paid. CARRY
ON UP THE PATH AND FOLLOW GREEN ARROWS RIGHT AT T-JUNCTION, LEFTAT
A Y-JUNCTION AND LEFT AT ANOTHER
T-JUNCTION TO A TRACK On the right just
before the top is what appears to be a grilled mine entrance. This is in fact merely a short access
tunnel under the track. AT THE
TOP, CROSS THE TRACK AND WALK TO THE GRILLED SHAFT This is Lordshill Engine Shaft (1,300ft) and,
although it is still open, it has been grilled at surface for safety. On the left is a Winding Engine House, containing a
horizontal steam winder, was sited on the left and this wound ore in the
shaft up to Day Level, using flat ropes. Next to this are the remains of the
Boiler House.
On the right is a Pumping Engine House that used the
same boilers as the winder. It was installed in 1858 and housed a 60"
engine. Provision for the balance bob at surface is plainly visible and the
ground depression between the engine house and shaft marks the site of the
condenser cistern. The engine house itself is of massive construction and the
lever wall is 6ft thick. Four large gritstone blocks on the floor mark the
site of the cylinder, with holes for the holding down bolts going down more
than 10ft through the foundations. The pit between the cylinder and lever
wall was for the valve gear, worked by plunger rods hung from the beam. The
engine had an unequal beam with a stroke of 6ft at the cylinder and 9ft at
the pump rods. The diameter of the pumps was recorded as 6 inches. The
Lordshill engine stopped pumping in January 1919 and, after this, the mine
flooded to adit level.
Straight ahead is a recess that held the Balance Bob. This acted as a counterweight for the pump
rods in the shaft. The boiler flues led into the Main Flue, which ran
from the smelter up the hill to the Octagonal Chimney above. This is the
largest chimney in the district and is constructed of red brick resting on a
square greystone base. Between the Pumping Engine House and the track is a
small building which housed a steam winch that hauled up trucks of coal for
the boilers along an incline. The line
of the incline can still be seen heading off from the track on the left hand
side. A bit further down the track, follow some steps up
to the right. This will lead you to a
grilled over section of the collapsed Main Flue.
GO BACK
TO THE TRACK AND FOLLOW IT DOWN. STOP
AT THE ROAD JUNCTION
Straight across is the Candle House. This is where
the tallow candles were produced and stored, which the miners had to buy
themselves. WALK
ALONG THE TRACK OPPOSITE On the left you will pass the Magazine, built in 1863 and consisting of two concentric square walls,
allowing one-way traffic of men going to collect explosives
CARRY
ON ALONG THE TRACK, PAST TWO COLLAPSED LEVELS ON THE RIGHT TAKE A
RIGHT FORK NEXT TO A HOUSE On the right is the grilled entrance to Perkins Level,
driven earlier this century to mine barite when the price of lead
dropped. Trucks were pushed from the
entrance across the track (the rails are still in situ) to a loading
bay. Here it was dropped into trucks
at a lower level and taken to the Upper Works. WALK UP
THE FOOTPATH TO THE LEFT OF THE LEVEL AND THROUGH A STILE ON THE RIGHT. CARRY
ON UP TO THE ROAD, PASSING A CAPPED
VENTILATION SHAFT ON PERKINS LEVEL AT THE
ROAD, TURN LEFT AND FOLLOW THE ROAD UP THE HILL. FOLLOW IT ROUND TO THE RIGHT On the left you can see two low circular features
that are the caps of shafts. They have
been built in this way to allow bats to enter. Straight ahead you can see the Lordshill Chapel where some of the
miners are buried. FOLLOW
THE ROAD ROUND TO THE LEFT AND THROUGH A GATE On the left is the capped Chapel Shaft, sunk by the
adjacent landowner in the 1860s to exploit the expected continuation of the
lead veins which were not there! After
the venture failed, Snailbeach Mine acquired the shaft for ventilation and
access. Next to it are the remains of the Winding Engine
House which had a converted ship's capstan installed in 1862. The engine
house has almost completely collapsed but the underground flue and a small
square chimney can still be seen, the latter on the hillside on the other
side of the road. The long flue helped
to increase the draught to the fire under the boilers. FOLLOW
THE ROAD BACK DOWN TO THE CANDLE HOUSE. TURN RIGHT ALONG THE TRACK
AS BEFORE BUT THIS TIME TAKE THE FIRST LEFT FORK PASSING TO THE LEFT OF
THE POWDER HOUSE. WALK STRAIGHT ACROSS A TRACK JUNCTION The small building on the left was the Valve House
that controlled the flow of water from the main reservoir to sub-reservoirs
lower down. GO BACK
TO THE TRACK AND TURN LEFT UPHILL FOR A SHORT DISTANCE. WHERE
THE TRACK FORKS, TAKE THE LEFT HAND ONE AND PASS THROUGH A GATE. FOLLOW THE
FOOTPATH ALONG THE SIDE OF THE RESERVOIR The large Reservoir on the left provided water for the boilers and
dressing floors. In the very dry summer of 2011 the reservoir dried out completely
for the first time anyone could remember. There are no signs of leaks so it is a bit of a
mystery at the moment!
he footpath ends at a large green shed which is the Upper Works. Go up the steps. This area dates from the 1930s and was used to crush
and process the barite mined from Perkins Level. Barite from here was sent to the Windscale
(now called Sellafield) nuclear reactor accident to smother fuel cells.
Underground mining ceased in 1955 but the tips were re-worked until the
1970s. The machinery was worked by
flatbelt from a tractor, which may be the one currently being refurbished in
the Loco Shed. GO BACK
TO THE VALVE HOUSE TRACK JUNCTION AND THIS TIME GO STRAIGHT ON On the left, in the trees, is a shallow cutting with the railway loop
for taking coal up to the Lordshill boilers. Further down, on the right, is the grilled Paraffin
Level. In the 1940s, on a fine day, the men came out for their lunch and when
they returned they found that where they had been working had collapsed.
CARRY ON
ALONG THE TRACK PAST A HOUSE ON THE RIGHT TO A ROAD. TURN RIGHT
ALONG ROAD AND, WHERE THE ROAD BENDS LEFT, GO STRAIGHT ON ALONG A
TRACK. LOOK FOR RAILWAY LINES ON THE LEFT AND TAKE A PATH ON THE
RIGHT OPPOSITE THESE. FOLLOW THIS ROUND TO THE LEFT INTO THE TREES This is the area of Black Tom Shaft (120ft), which
was sunk in the 1820s and carried on working barite into this century. You will first come across a metal saw
bench, hand windlass and some concrete bases from a steam engine, classifier
and jiggers. The wooden classifier has
being rebuilt and is in the Loco Shed, whilst the jiggers are being rebuilt. The shaft has now been filled and fitted with a mock
shaft top. It originally had a horse gin but this was replaced in the 1880s
by a small steam engine, seated on top of its boiler, which was housed in the
small wooden Winding Engine House. There was a double pulley on the headgear,
which has collapsed but been placed into store. Half buried in the undergrowth is the
remains of a truck. GO BACK
TO THE TRACK AND FOLLOW THE RAILS THROUGH THE TREES TO THE ROAD On the opposite side of the road, the wide flat area
was the washing floor where ore was separated by gravity processes. At the far side, you can see Jiggers and a Grizzly, devices that were
used to sieve out ore. There was a railway loop here to a loading bay and you can see a
modern day mining truck. Part of the washing floor had a long building on it
and, from here, dressed ore was dropped down into trucks in a Tunnel. This went under the road to take ore to
where it was stored in the Ore House. The grilled entrance to the Tunnel is
in the courtyard of the Ore House. To the left of the Ore House is a rocky
area where geologists are allowed to collect samples.
The Smelt House is situated about 1 mile north-west of
the main area and was supplied with ore by a tramway. The remains are on
private land and anyone wishing to see them should contact the Visits Co-coordinator. Flues from the hearths run under the fields
to a nearby red brick beehive condenser. This was supported in the past by
lashings of flat steel winding rope but part of the wall has collapsed. The
six furnace flues and the main chimney flue are all spaced geometrically
around the base of the condenser. From here, the main flue continues
underground to join the Octagonal Chimney on the hillside above. WALK
BACK DOWN THE HILL AND TURN RIGHT ALONG THE ROAD TO A
GATE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE BEFORE THE BRIDGE Looking back the way you just came, the site of the car
park on the right is known as Lower Works and this is where ore was once
processed. GO
THROUGH THE GATE On the left are some Circular Buddles, which were
used to separate small particles of lead ore from waste material. The cutting
marks the route of the Snailbeach District Railway. Below are some old photos of the mine when it was working. It is impossible to get a modern day
equivalent photo of most of these due to the trees that have been planted on
the valley sides. |
![[Click to enlarge image]](../sbsurf/minersdry_002.jpg)
![[Click to enlarge image]](../sbsurf/reservoir_001.jpg)
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